By Annamarya Scaccia (SexHerald.com, 2005)
Title: The Art of Andreas Raufeisen
Author: Andreas Raufeisen
Publisher: SQP/FANFARE
Publish Date: 1994, 2004
Pages: 48
Genres:: Erotic Art, Fetishes
There is a line between unwanted violence and eroticism that should not be crossed. No matter the medium, be it in real life or a drawing on paper, blood shed is never sexy, especially on a woman.
Unfortunately artist Andreas Raufeisen thinks otherwise. In his book The Art of Andreas Raufeisen, women bound in spikes, barb wire and forcefully pierced are in full display. Heavy into BDSM, Raufeisen exhibits these women like needless pieces of flesh. Paintings of women in pain, bleeding and dying, his work is offensive and outright sadistic. Although BDSM can make for a rough, ravaging night, unnecessary agony is never a turn-on, no matter how beautiful the shading is.
Born in 1960, Raufeisen grew up with a pencil in hand, constantly drawing and releasing his fantasies on paper. After he finished his studies as a painter and varnisher, Raufeisen began working with the City of Frankfurt Fire Department, separating himself from the pencil and paper he grew to adore. He eventually was drawn back and began using the airbrush technique instead, bringing to life the subject matter he so enjoys. Often compared to the artist Sorayama, Raufeisen mixes fetishes with fantasy and violence with sex in a distributing way.
Not to judge one person’s fantasies, but women with rods through their legs (top/p.24) and arrows through their chest (p.31) does not strike as something attractive. His work as an artist is, yes, spectacular. Deep, penetrating shadows, vibrant hues and the realistic renderings of physical features all make for fantastic pieces of artwork. However, his subject matter goes beyond risqué and even his sexy Scully from The X Files (p.21), his ironic exposé of Barbara Eden as Jeannie (p.22/23) or his attractive portrait of Sigourney Weaver (p.27) can’t even offset the horrible and atrocious display of two dying mermaids, cut up and bruised (p. 15) or the woman hanging by mere strings dripping with latex who is lifeless (p.16). Regardless of a person’s desire to have their lover bound in chains and suffering pain, a visual representation of women in misery, distressed with puncture wounds and restraint does not come off as something to get off to.
Complete with a how-to guide at the end, The Art of Andreas Raufeisen is nothing more than angry, aggressive and disgusting displays of unwanted and unneeded vile sexual behaviors. It’s great to be kinky, it’s great to be a “freak”, but when one, even through visual stimulation, is promoting brutality towards another, there is something else totally difference involved. Possibly psychological, possibly sociopathic, who can be the judge?
Raufeisen is, as mentioned, a talented painter. Yet he chooses a subject matter that has yet to be accepted and quite possible never will. Desire is wonderful and so are fantasies, just as long as certain ones, like the ones exhibited in his book (the ones of weightless women tormented needlessly) stay within the penciled lines.
Unless you get off seeing woman tortured, The Art of Andreas Raufeisen is a waste of precious trees that could be used for breathing right now.
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